Making The First Move
by gawilliams
Summary: Bones takes the initiative in the aftermath of Booth breakup with Hannah.  Part of the Deep Regrets storyline.
1. Chapter 1

_For those that were interested, I have decided that _All I Asked Was One Thing_ is now part of the _Deep Regrets_ storyline. This one is also, which I alluded to in the intro to the last story just mentioned. I hope you all enjoy this one. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: In don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Bones walked to the door and took a deep breath. She held a suit bag in her hand, and she herself was dressed in an evening gown, her wrap casually draped over her arms. She raised her free hand and knocked on the door firmly. She knew he was going to be here, and she also knew that the drinking he'd been engaged in for some time after Hannah had left was a thing of the past, so she was fairly confident that while he may not be happy with her, he wouldn't be a drunken mess when he opened the door. When the door swung open she saw him in his sweat pants and t-shirt. He was barefoot and his hair was sticking out all over.

"Bones?" Booth asked, shocked that she was here at his place.

Without waiting for an invitation Bones walked right in and handed him the suit bag.

"What the Hell is going on?" Booth asked.

"There's a Tux," Bones told him. "You're escorting me to the Jeffersonian Fundraiser this evening."

"I never agreed to escort you," Booth pointed out, pretty damn sure she'd never even asked him.

"You have one hour to get ready," she said with a pointed look to the bathroom. She gave him the look she gave everyone when she wasn't about to let them have a choice. She watched him glare at her and then stomp off to the bathroom, the suit bag in hand. Draping her wrap over the back of the easy chair, she took a seat in the couch and began glancing through a magazine while waiting for him. She let her mind wander to the conversation with Angela the other day that led to this evening.

_"So who are you going to the fundraiser with?" Angela asked curiously. She knew that Bren had not been dating at all both before Hannah broke it off with Booth, and also afterwards. Frankly she was upset with both Bren and Booth for continuing to ignore this new opportunity, but she wasn't going to rock the boat too much on that aspect given the raw feelings on both sides._

_"I'm just going to go by myself," Bren replied without looking up from her computer screen where she was working on an article for an anthropology publication._

_"Sweetie, you need to get out and live a little," Angela pressed._

_"You mean have sex," Bren smirked, now looking up at her friend._

_"That's exactly what I mean, Sweetie," Angela replied bluntly. "When was the last time you had sex anyway?"_

_"Not since the two boyfriends," Bren admitted reluctantly. It had been a long time, but she was not interested in breaking her celibacy. She still had to work things out with Booth, one way or the other, before she would be ready to be with a man._

_"Then I'd say now is as good a time as any, imperative even, to ask out some good looking guy, go to the fundraiser, and then take him home and rock his world all night," Angela encouraged._

_Bren glared, and then her gaze softened. An idea sprang into her mind, and she knew it would work, even though there may be some rough spots along the way. "I am not going to ruin any possibility of being with Booth eventually, Angela," she said firmly. "I will not have sex with some random guy to satisfy my urges and hurt Booth further. I've hurt him enough over the years in regards to that. But I will take him to the fundraiser."_

_"What if he doesn't want to go?" Angela asked, pleased that Bren was taking some initiative, but not sure if this was the right thing to do, given the state of things with Booth in the aftermath of his relationship with Hannah._

_"Who said I'm going to give him a choice?" Bren asked rhetorically._

Bones was broken out of her thoughts when the door to the bathroom opened and out came a fully prepared, and in the Tux she had bought him, Seeley Booth. She had always loved him in a Tuxedo, and now she was seeing him in one that was perfectly tailored. He was spectacular. She noticed that he had found the gold cuff links she had also included.

"Well, how do I look?" Booth smirked. He still wasn't thrilled about going anywhere, but he had found out during the time since Hannah had dumped him that he couldn't escape his feelings for Bones, and if she wanted him to do something, then he was going to do it.

Bones stood and got her wrap and handbag. "You look very handsome, Booth," she told him. "I have a car waiting for us downstairs."

"Fancy tonight, Bones?" he asked.

"We deserve it," she told him cryptically. She linked her arm with his as they walked out of his apartment.

_A/N: There's the short intro piece. This story will be several chapters long, so don't worry. There will be more. I hope you enjoyed the lead in. Gregg._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the great response to the introduction to this new story. I plan on making this one a total of four chapters, so this one is the second. I hope you enjoy if as much as the first one. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

The fundraiser was being held in the main ballroom of the Jeffersonian Institute. Since the Institute was a cultural center as well as a series of working laboratories for the various academic disciplines, there were a number of conference rooms and several ballrooms of varying sizes for different events. From what Booth could estimate with his quick sniper's eye for detail, there were probably 800 people there that night.

"I hate these kinds of things," he groused.

"So do I, but it's necessary in order to make sure that funding continues for the Institute," Bones said from beside him, her arm linked firmly in his.

"But why am I here?" he asked. He was still a bit put out that she just showed up and essentially _**ordered**_ him into a tux and be her escort.

Bones turned to face him directly, giving him a glare. "Because I wanted to go with you, Booth, not some guy who I have no interest in, or simply come to this alone," she told him bluntly. "Now, I bought you a tux, arranged a limousine, and we will be having a pleasant evening together. After we get back to your apartment, I will talk with you about all this, but for now could we please just have a nice evening?"

Booth knew that glare well. He'd seen it often enough over the years when she would be particularly miffed at the FBI Crime Scene Techs, or her students. He was not so thrilled to be on the receiving end of it at the moment, or any moment. Then something she said registered.

"You bought me this tux?" he asked incredulously. He could tell how well tailored it was, and the whole thing must be very high class. It must have cost a fortune!

Bones quirked a slight smile. "Since I am going to be bringing you to all my social obligations for the foreseeable future, I felt you needed a tuxedo that was well made and fit you properly," she explained, ignoring the gobsmacked expression on his face.

"You expect me to go to all these fancy schmancy things?" he asked incredulously, keeping his voice down so as not to make a scene.

"Of course," she told him. "You're my best friend, Booth. Who else would I want to accompany me?" She noticed that the music had began and it was a soft dance melody. "Come dance with me," she requested.

Booth shook his head in bewilderment as he led her to the dance floor. He noticed Cam dancing with her Doctor boyfriend and smiled at her. Over in the distance he saw Hodgins and Angela dancing, too. Angela took the chance to wink at him, but he ignored it. He was confused, and he was not happy, but he wasn't going to make this a bad night for Bones. Taking her in his arms, he began to dance as gracefully as he could.

"Booth," she said as they made their way along the dance floor smoothly. Whatever else may be said, Booth was an excellent dancer. She felt herself relaxing against him. "I've missed having my friend. I know I created a lot of this distance, and I'm sorry. I plan on talking with you about this when we get back to your apartment, but I want you to know that while I know the last few months haven't been easy for you, they haven't been pleasant for me, either. I hate that you were hurt, Booth, but I hate it even more that you felt like you couldn't be my friend after what happened."

She made that last statement, even though she knew it was deliberately inaccurate. She wanted him to get the shock value of it, and make him think about what his actions were making people wonder about. She'd been horrified to learn of his nightly drinking binges, though, thankfully, he'd done his drinking at home. It had made her concerned that he may begin gambling again, but he didn't. About a month before, the drinking had stopped, and she had noticed a bit of a change in his demeanor, and his appearance. Not significant, but just enough to know that things were getting better.

"That's not true, Bones," Booth said firmly, shocked that she would think that, though he had to admit that he hadn't been the best of friend to anyone for a long time.

"We can talk about that when we leave here tonight," she reiterated. "But I intend on taking you with me to these events, which are important to me, because you are important to me, too."

"Looking good, Studly," Angela said from beside them suddenly. "Can I have a dance with Agent Hot Stuff, Sweetie?"

Bones turned and saw Hodgins and smiled. "And I'll dance with Hodgins," she said as she relinquished her hold on Booth. She stepped into a more formal dance pose with Hodgins and glided across the floor, knowing that Hodgins was an expert at classical dance steps.

Booth danced with Angela, and was pleased to note that she was a pretty good dancer. It made it easier to move around and not have to be so close in order to lead. "You look beautiful tonight," he commented. The gown was beautiful, and made with a pregnant woman in mind.

"Thanks, Studly," Angela said as she looked up at him. "You really hurt her these last few months, you know," she commented. She could feel him tense, and knew she'd hit a raw nerve.

"I don't think that's any of your business," he said in a controlled tone. "I wasn't in any good shape either, or hadn't you noticed?"

"Yours was self inflicted bottle fatigue," Angela pointed out acidly. "She was waiting and waiting for you to come to her and let both of you work on rebuilding your friendship. It tore her up knowing you were sinking yourself into the bottom of a Scotch bottle every night, and she was terrified that you were going to start gambling again. You're my friend, Booth, but if you keep on hurting her, then I swear that you will wish you'd never been born. Got it?"

"Yeah," Booth acknowledged, knowing that there was nothing he could say that would change Angela's clear message.

"I don't know why, Booth, but she still loves you," Angela continued. She stepped back as the song ended. "As in she is _**IN **_love with you. Don't screw this up again. Now I'm going back to find Hodgie. You need to stick to her like glue and make sure she has a nice evening."

Booth went over to where he saw Bones talking with a few people and sidled up beside her. He was pleased when she smiled at him, that special smile that she used to give him when he showed up around her. Maybe things were looking up, finally. He knew that both of them had made some serious mistakes for a lot of years now, and his pressing her like he did that night after meeting with Sweets had been a disaster, but his anguish of the past few months had been more along the lines of wondering if he was worth the effort for anyone as he'd been seriously shot down three times in his life when it comes to a serious relationship, two of the times when the relationship had been in full swing. As Bones would say, it was_** heart crushing**_. Hence the drinking and general avoidance routine.

Bones kept a careful watch of Booth the entire evening. She was pleased to see him engage in polite conversation, and also give some useful insight on their work for the donors to consider. They worked well doing the rounds, which she despised but knew it was a necessary evil, and she was glad she'd made the decision to force this. She was also fairly certain that Angela had had some harsh words for Booth when her friend had danced with him, so she was also wondering about that, as well. It was about midnight when the fundraiser finally wound down.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked him as she came back from the ladies room with Angela.

Booth looked up and saw that Bones was clearly ready, so he nodded and stood, helping her with her wrap and handing her her handbag. When they said goodbye to Angela and Hodgins, Angela took the time to lean in and remind him of what she'd said earlier. He simply nodded and led Bones out, his hand at the small of her back like old times, though it had been a long time since he'd put his hand out to her like that. At least that informally as if it were a usual occurrence. It was just another indicator in his mind of how far he'd let himself drift away from his friends, and his best friend especially.

When they got to his apartment Bones dismissed the driver, letting him know that she would get home one her own when she was finished with the evening. Booth raised a brow at the wording as it could easily be construed that she was heading upstairs to have a good old fashioned roll in the hay. But he knew that it was simply Bones' way of being direct and not hiding anything with innuendo.

"Care for a drink?" he asked when they were in the apartment.

Bones made her way over to the couch and sat down. "Ice water, please," she told him. "And then we need to talk."

Booth sighed, knowing that there would be no avoiding it. Getting her the ice water he took it over to her and when he made to sit on the easy chair, she took his wrist and forced him to sit beside her on the couch. This was evidently going to be a doozy of a conversation.

_A/N: Don't shoot me for ending the chapter there. I wanted the conversation to stand on its own as a chapter to this one, so I broke it off here. I plan on having the next chapter posted in a day or two. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Gregg._


End file.
